


Imaginary friends who sadly aren't that imaginary.

by TheCuriousCat



Series: Worlds separated by a garden fence. [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Bilbo Baggins, Dark Fíli, Dark Kíli, Dark Thorin, F/M, Female Bilbo Baggins, Fey Fili, Fey Kili, Fey Thorin, Human bilbo, Hurt Bilbo Baggins, King Thorin, Possessive Thorin, Young Bilbo Baggins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:14:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29575185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCuriousCat/pseuds/TheCuriousCat
Summary: Fili and Kili have come of age so they now have to prove they have what it takes to be one of their race. It should be easy enough really, give a kid some candy, whisk it away to uncle Thorin so that he could smile approvingly at them, eat said kid and the others brought during the star feast.They didn't expect to want to keep the kid for themselves but then who wouldn't want to keep the adorable little Bilba?The only problem was Bilba very much didn't want to be kept, not when things came to a head.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, pre Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Series: Worlds separated by a garden fence. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2172774
Comments: 7
Kudos: 70





	Imaginary friends who sadly aren't that imaginary.

When Bilba was a small child she had imaginary friends, like most her age did. Two men, one brunette and one blonde. Fili the older brother and Kili the younger brother. Both impossibly beautiful, both trying to lure her from her garden and into the forests behind her home. 

At first they gave her candies of all flavors with the promise of endless supplies back at their homeland, she smiled and laughed but didn't eat any. She was saving them for a special occasion like her daddy had taught her to do, why eat one at a time when she could gorge herself later? After a while Kili crouched in front of her on their side of the fence and asked why she hadn't eaten any of the candy. Bilba, being too young to be suspicious of how he seemed to know that, answered truthfully. Kili had blinked several times at her childish explanation then laughed loud and full of delight. Bilba was delighted to make him laugh and didn't see the sharp smile he shared with Fili, everything might not have gone so badly if she had.

The following requests to join them changed after that night.

"Come along Bilba! We'll have some much time to play together at our castle!" Kili would laugh as they played patty cake through the gaps in her fence.

"The flowers in your garden are so pretty Bilba. Would you like to see ours? They glow in the moonlight." Fili would casually ask while she pointed out her mommy's new plants.

"You would never want for anything." Kili would whisper just before her daddy would call her in to sleep. 

"Never have to go to sleep if you didn't want to, never eat anything you didn't feel like eating." Fili would add.

"We would take **such** good care of you Bilba." They'd say together as they pet her head making her laugh.

The giving of candy didn't stop of course, in fact they gave her more than before. Bilba was over the moon with how her friends cared for her, she didn't see the anticipation growing with every handful. And they were right of course because Bilba's hoard of candy was reaching the point where she couldn't hide it much longer from her parents meaning that she was planning to eat them very soon, the next night actually. She would have eaten them that night but her auntie and uncle where coming over and they were bringing her cousin Otho, she hated him and wasn't willing to risk him finding her hoard so tomorrow it was.

* * *

"There!" Her mommy announced as she finished [dressing](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/630574385325318784/) Bilba. "So cute, they'll be so jealous."

"Belladonna!" Her daddy shouted from the kitchen making her and mommy giggle. Just then the doorbell goes off.

"Sorry dear, can't hear you. I'm off to get the door!" Mommy calls back before turning back to her. "Remember my little one, kill them with kindness."

"Yes mommy."

"Good girl." Her mommy says as she kisses her forehead then goes to the front door. "Sago! Tanta! And little Otho! So wonderful of you to come by. Come in!" Her mommy laughs lightly as she ushers the three in.

"It's good of you to have us over." Uncle Sago says gruffly as he takes auntie Tanta and Otho's coats, hanging them up instead of letting mommy do it which made mommy upset for some reason.

"Yes, yes. We've had a long journey dear so we'll just head on through." Auntie Tanta says lightly as they all walk towards the dinning room.

"Of course." Mommy says and lets them go, once they are out of sight mommy pulls a funny face that makes her laugh. Mommy smiles. "I'm glad at least one of us is having fun." Bilba laughs more as her mommy scoops her up and heads for the dinning room.

Dinner is a quiet affair for the most part, uncle talks about his job and auntie talks about Otho. Mommy and daddy nod and make noises but don't talk. About half way through dinner Otho asks to be excused and uncle lets him go before daddy can open his mouth... he doesn't come back, not when dinner is finished nor when dessert is brought out. In the back of her head Bilba **knows** something is wrong. 

Somewhere deep in the forest two pairs of glowing eyes snap towards her house with sudden glee.

"Mommy, daddy? Can I be excused?" She asks.

"Of course dear." Mommy says softly. Bilba smiles at her then pushes away from the table.

She heads strait to her room and almost cries when she sees that her stash has been raided, that meanie! She spots him out of her window and storms to the back garden after him so that she can give him a piece of her mind. It took her forever to get all of those and they had been given to her by her best friends! She gets to the garden and her anger switches to worry, she can't see him and the back gate is open. Her mommy and daddy said that she should never go out there without an adult she trusts.

"Bilba?" Her eyes snap past the gate and a smile grows on her face.

"Fili! I think my cousin has gone into the forest. Can you help me find him?" She says as she runs up, stopping right in front of the open gate.

Fili's smile grows impossibly wide as he too steps up, now all that separates them is the invisible line between her property and his. "Otho right? He went to play hide and seek with Kili." He says brightly before holding his hand out. "I'll be happy to help you find him though."

"Thank you!" She says with a smile and takes his hand without hesitation, he tugs her over the line then they disappear into the forest.

* * *

Bilba can't help but gape at everything around her, stepping into the forest was like stepping into another world. All around her beautiful people twirled around, dancing to the music that constantly came from all directions. Fili pulled her along with smiles and laughs, people would stop for a moment to smile proudly at him while he showed her off to them.

"Kili!" He shouted suddenly and lifted her up so he could run to his brother. She laughed as the air whipped around her. "Look who I caught!" 

Kili turns with a scowl, his hand on Otho's shoulder. As soon as he spots her he breaks out in a blinding smile. "Bilba!" He shouts happily.

"Kili!" She shouts just as happily. "You found my cousin!" Fili finally steps next to Kili and she realizes that they are in front of a throne, sitting on it is an older brunette with a crown upon his head. He looks a lot like Fili and Kili but also so much more.

"I did!" He laughs as he uses the hand not holding Otho to pet her head. "And Fili found you."

"He did." She agrees, Otho shoots her a look that kills her good mood. He's scared, really scared. Suddenly the music seems a tad out of key and the people watching them with smiles seem more sinister. Otho isn't scared of anything. "But now we need to go." The music stops and the smiles are gone from the crowd, this isn't right. **Something is _wrong!_**

"Oh?" The man in the throne says softly as he leans forward. "But you just got here and my nephews have told me so much about you **Bilba Baggins.** " Something grips around her heart at the sound of her name, it's like a thousand hands holding her down. " **Stay awhile won't you? I would love to get to know what has my nephews so exited.** " 

She wants to agree, to say that she will stay forever and hand over every piece of herself for him to examine. What stops her is that fact that she actually doesn't, it's the ghost hands that want her to do this. They grab at her head and try and force a nod, yank on her chin to get her mouth moving. But then Otho shrinks under Kili's hand and she shakes them off.

"I really would love to but auntie and uncle aren't staying the night so I need to get Otho back so he can go home." Fili's arms tighten around her, she felt safe in his arms before but now she's starting to think that wasn't the case.

"No?" The crowned man says leaning back in shock.

"See uncle!" Kili exclaims happily. "We told you!"

"So you did." He reply's while his eyes scan her. "I approve of your pet, so long as you feed her you may keep her. The other one however..."

The man smiles and Bilba feels her heart stop, his teeth are sharp points. All of them! And he's looking at Otho like he's **hungry!** Kili beams and shoves Otho towards the large man to the side who has tattoos all over the top of his head then he hugs her and Fili happily. Any other time she would be happy that her best friends are so happy but now... She sends them a silent apology then she kicks Kili in the chest before slamming her head back and into Fili's throat. They drop her and she darts away from them then tackles Otho out of the large mans grip. The silence around the room makes her worried but she juts her chin out defiantly as she stands in front of Otho.

"Bilba." Fili says as he eyes her. There is something she doesn't like in his eyes, a look that is mirrored in Kili's. "Come here." She doesn't move. "Now!" She still doesn't move, scared out of her mind. Fili had never shouted at her before.

"We know your scared sweetie." Kili says softly as he takes a step towards her, she takes a step back. "We promise you'll be safe, you just need to come to us."

"I'm taking Otho home." She forces out hating how her voice shakes. "We can play after." She hopes that will get them to let her out, they always let her leave when she promised to be right back.

Fili shakes his head. "Not this time sweetheart."

"Why!" She snaps, keeping Otho behind her so no one can grab him.

"How about we play now?" She snaps her eyes to the man and lets out a squeak when she sees that he's right next to her. "A game of tag I think. If you and your cousin make it back to your house without getting tagged I'll let you go."

She watches him in fear. "And if we don't?" She asks and almost whimpers as his pointed smile grows.

"If you get caught then you'll promise to be a good pet to my nephews." He says making Fili and Kili smile in relief. "And your cousin will join the rest of the little ones we've gathered tonight for dinner." She knows what he means!

"Deal!" Otho yells from behind her and if they weren't in this position she'd hit him for doing something so stupid.

"Perfect!" The man claps his hands. "100 seconds head start should be fair."

She grabs Otho and darts past them and out of the room before he can start counting, his laughter follows them as their feet pound on the floor.

* * *

They have been running for a lot longer than 100 seconds, she knows because she counted. She's tired, Otho's tired. All she wants to do is stop but she can't because if she does her best friends and their uncle are going to **eat her cousin!** She can't let that happen, she won't. So they keep running and running. It felt like she was running in circles but that can't be right, she could have sworn that this was the way Fili had taken her!

"Stop! I can't! Please!" Otho finally cries out has he pulls his hand from her grip.

"We can't stop Otho." She hisses as she tries to grab him again. "They are going to eat you! We need to keep you away from them."

"This is all your fault!" He yells. She spots movement from one of the alleys, crap. "They were after YOU! They said so!"

"Otho." She says warningly as she tries to grab him, he pulls away again.

"You and that stupid candy! I can't believe you tricked me into eating it all! When I tell mommy you're going to be in so much trouble!"

"You ate **all** of the candy?" Someone says from the darkness. When the man steps forward she notes that his hair is styled like a star. "Are you saying that little Bilba didn't eat **any** of it? Not even one?"

She swallows and pulls Otho closer to her by the back of his shirt, he doesn't fight. Finally!

"Y..yes..." Really?! She wants to scream, did Otho want to be eaten?!

The man laughs. "Well that changes the game completely and has bought you some time. Their majesties will be very displeased to learn this." He mutters the last part as he disappears back into the alley.

"Otho." She says.

"Yes?"

"We need to **run**."

* * *

Thorin wouldn't admit this out loud but he was having a lot of fun twisting the roads of his kingdom around, it had been so very long since he got to play with his prey after all. Not that he would be eating the little thing once she was caught, he had promised her to Fili and Kili after all and Dis would have his head for going back on his word no matter the blood lust he's working up. He'll have to be content ripping apart her cousin.

It was going quite well, meaning that despite his changes she was still navigating his maze and would make it to her home. Or, rather, as close to her home as she could get before the fairy food she had consumed stopped her. He decided that he wanted to see her face when she realized she couldn't win so he changed more to make it easier for her to get to her goal. He was content to wait, Fili and Kili not so much only because they were exited to get their pet back, until Nori came skidding into the room with the worst news he'd heard in a century.

"Bilba hasn't eaten any fairy food my king!"

"... I'm sorry, **what?** " He hisses as he pushed himself out of his throne.

"I was watching them like you asked and Otho started blaming her for what was happening my king. Said that she tricked him into eating **all** of the candy the young princes gave her." Thorin couldn't comprehend what was going on for a moment.

"That lying little fuck." Kili snarls in anger. "Bilba would never do that! She was saving them for herself!"

"If anything the little darling would have shared her candy." Fili added. "That is actually what I thought had happened. I hadn't considered that he would have stollen from our little Bilba."

"I'll kill him." Kili snarls.

" **We'll** kill him." Fili corrects.

It finally hits him, he had been playing the game like he had already won. If little Bilba's cousin wasn't so stupid he would have continued to play like that and would have lost. He refuses to lose. "No more playing around." He says as he goes back to his throne so he can twist his city into a labyrinth. "I want them caught, everyone is to have a piece of candy on them. We all know what will happen if Bilba doesn't consume any by sun rise." Nori nods and darts back out of the room. Fili and Kili start to follow but he stops them. "Stay. If you want her to like you then you need to make it look like you're only going along with this to keep her safe. That means not killing her cousin in front of her then shoving candy down her throat." He says to them. "You can kill him while she sleeps." 

They both grumble but sit back down, Thorin turns his attention from them and to the roads. He will win this game.

* * *

Bilba is sure she'd been past this street before but she can't stop, she needed to get them both home. Mommy and daddy must be do worried by now and she doesn't want them to cry, she hates when they cry.

Someone steps into her path and she skids to a stop. It's the large man with the head tattoos.

"Enough runnin'" He says gruffly.

She refuses to lose. "No! This is tag and you haven't caught us yet!" She yells.

The mans eyes narrow. "... Fine." He pulls a giant axe off of his back. "Tag it is lassie."

Behind her Otho whimpers, she assesses the situation before coming up with a plan. She tightens her hold on Otho then runs strait at the man, his shock gives her enough time to dart past him. He gives chase, she can tell by his thudding footsteps. She starts taking alleys to avoid him but finds that means she has to deal with star hair man and all of his knives! She's not been hit by one but Otho has and with the way he's crying she assumes that it hurts alot. So alleys and open streets are out meaning that side roads are the way to go, or they would be if not for the hat wearing man and his pickaxe. What is up with these people! She still can't believe Fili and Kili would betray her like this, she thought they were nice!

Despite the obstacles (Her and Otho's hunters become 10 in total and she's sure the building are moving) she manages to keep them going. Something must be important with keeping away from them until sun rise because they seem determined to catch them before hand. She'd even heard the star haired one telling the tattooed one that the king demanded it. It sparks a new plan, she doesn't have to get home like she thought. She just has to play keep away. She can do that. Soon every step she takes is to the lightning sky, come on, come on!

When she spots it she can't believe her eyes, everywhere the sun touches becomes forest! Normal, non-magical forest! She changes direction and bolts towards it, Otho pants behind her but he'd stopped complaining hours ago.

"BILBA NO!" She hears someone shout but she doesn't stop.

She steps into the light and Otho's hand disapires from hers, she spins thinking that he got grabbed but she finds nothing. No magical city, no Otho. Nothing. "No! Nononononono! OTHO!" She cries as she tries to back track. "OTHO!"

"Bilba!" She hears her daddy shout and turns with tears streaming down her face. "Bilba! Oh thank the hevens. BELLADONNA! I FOUND HER! Sweetie do you know where Otho is?"

She cries more. "They got him! I tried to get him home but they got him daddy. I tried! I really, really tried!"

"Who got him Bilba?" Daddy asked in worry. But she can't handle it anymore, she is a little girl after all and she's just stayed up all night running for her life.

She passes out before she can answer.

* * *

Thorin sits on this throne and stares as his chosen ten inform him of their failure. He should be mad, it would make sense since he **lost** but instead he's impressed. Little Bilba was more that he ever thought she would be, so much more. He could understand why Fili and Kili where so taken with the little thing because he could feel the possessiveness clawing at his skull. 

She was a very pretty child and he knew she would be a beautiful woman when she had grown into her self. He found himself wanting to see it happen, wanting other things as well that only an adult could give him. He pushes thoughts of her from his mind for now, there's nothing he can do about her absence from his kingdom while the sun was in the sky.

"What to do with you?" He says as he looks over the sniveling child in front of him. "Usually I would have you join the others for the feast but you've lost my nephews their prize." The child curls in on itself, not that he cares.

"May I speak uncle?" Asks Fili, Kili holds onto the back of Fili's shirt like it's the only thing keeping him from ripping the child apart.

"You may." He agrees.

"We would like to ask that he be treated like the pig he is. If not for him our Bilba would have eaten the candies herself and we would not be discussing something so upsetting on the day of our brightest star. A day usually for merriment." Fili says to the court, Dis smiles approvingly from her seat.

"You are in agreement?" He asks Kili, he's more than happy to go with what Fili is suggesting but this was a loss to both of them so the court need to here both of their voices.

"Yes." Kili says trembling with anger. "I want him to be spit roasted over an open fire and I want him to be alive for it." The child sobs and tries to get away but Dwalin steps on his back to stop him. Another thing that drew Thorin to Bilba was how she had gained Dwalin and Nori's respect during the night, it was hard to impress one but almost impossible to impress both.

"Does anyone find fault with my nephews request?" No one spoke. "They It shall be granted." The child started begging. "Set up the bonfire!"

Thorin sits back in his throne as Otho Baggins is dragged away and starts making plans, soon Bilba Baggins will be bound to his kingdom. Even if he has to crown her queen to do so.

He won't lose again.


End file.
